The truth behind why guys look better in person than they do in photos

It’s called the “Reverse Catfish Theory”


We've all been there. You see a really hot guy in one of your lectures or on a night out but when you go to stalk them online their photos look nothing like them. Cue twenty minutes of convincing your mate that yes they really do look better in person while you agonisingly scroll through their insta trying to find a photo that actually does them some justice.

Forget being a Catfish, Boys are the reverse.

So why do guys look so much fitter in real life than in their photos? To try and find out, I asked some of my guy friends why they thought that Chris from the Politics in Modern Spain seminar was hubby material IRL but only a 4/10 in his facebook pics.

John, Physics

"Guys don't take themselves as seriously, like when was the last time you saw a guy say okay let's take a selfie?''

I swear he does open his eyes in real life

I swear he does open his eyes in real life

Charlie, French and Spanish

"Guys aren't arsed about getting pictures. Girls want to make their instas all pretty whereas boys are happy to put on a sweaty pic from a night out."

"Also, facial hair. We can go from looking about 25 to 12 in seconds. So I guess boys can dramatically change their look from photos to real life whereas girls look pretty consistent in all their pics."

Sunglasses and a hat? No wonder we can't tell what you really look like

Sunglasses and a hat? No wonder we can't tell what you really look like

Ali, Civil Engineering

"We don't take that many photos, and the only photos that we actually have are selfies with our female friends that the girl wanted to take, and club photos with girls, that the girls insisted on taking"

He's actually Asian IRL

He's actually Asian IRL

Tom, Computer Science

"As soon as the camera is there we just don't know what to do. Like when I try smiling my face screws up but when I keep a straight face suddenly everyone smiles in the picture???"

"The classic gun finger seems to be the only solution here"

We see you Tom

We see you Tom

But don't give up hope just yet…

Although it's pretty scary how different some guys can look to their photos, don't doubt your eyesight just yet.

Just remember that when a boy looks a bit dodge on insta, he's probably an 8/10 IRL.

After all, there's plenty more reverse catfish in the sea.